Key Takeaways:

• Agreement signed between Small Farmers Cooperative Manharwa and DDC
• DDC to buy milk twice weekly, expanding to five days from Mangsir
• Cooperative to provide loans, insurance and collection services
• DDC pledges no milk holidays, incentives, and technical training

BARA, AUGUST 19 The Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperative Ltd Manharwa in Bara and the government-owned Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) have signed an agreement for the purchase and sale of milk. The agreement was signed on Monday as part of the implementation of a tripartite agreement reached last week between the Central Federation of Small Farmers Agricultural Cooperatives Ltd, Small Farmers Development Bank Ltd and DDC Nepal. Cooperative chairperson Nayan Kala Khadka and DDC Hetauda chief Rajiv Khanal signed the agreement in the presence of Central Federation chairman Ekrar Upreti. Under the agreement, DDC will initially purchase milk produced and collected by the cooperative two days a week, expanding to five days a week from Mangsir. The cooperative's daily milk collection ranges from 5 to 3,500 litres. DDC will make payments every 15 days and provide technical training and other necessary technical support to farmers, according to the agreement. The cooperative will provide livestock farming loans to farmers at affordable interest rates and arrange insurance coverage, while also collecting milk produced by farmers. DDC has also pledged to prevent milk holidays, provide additional incentives over prevailing prices, and handle transportation of collected milk. Khadka said the agreement would help members expand livestock farming and secure markets for their milk, noting that farmers receiving subsidised loans will be required to sell their milk to the cooperative.